Hogwarts: Another Journey
by Lionheart21
Summary: Alex and William start their first year at Hogwarts. The young wizards will meet friendly people and some unfriendly people. What happens when the students start acting strange and begin disappearing? Adventure, whether it's wanted or unwanted, is always
1. The Hogwarts Letter

In the magical world of the London countryside, there are two houses, side by side. These two homes are the only ones around for miles, far away from any Muggles. The house on the left was red with green shutters and the one on the right was white with blue shutters. Both were fairly old, but they were cozy accommodations for the most delightful tenants.

In the bedroom of the red house was a young boy, wearing jeans and a t-shirt that read "No such thing as too much Butterbeer". He was sitting on his bed, with a small wooden box in his hands. The boy opened the box, revealing a gold ball. Wings unfolded from the ball and it rose into the air. The Golden Snitch fluttered around the boy's head and circled the room. Alex watched in amazement as the Snitch maneuvered through his bedroom, dodging furniture and going under the bed. Alex jumped off his bed and got on the floor. As he raised the bed sheet, the Snitch zipped out and hit him in the forehead. Alex rubbed his forehead as the Snitch banged itself against the window, trying to escape.

"You're not going to get away that easily," Alex taunted.

Francis, Alex's little brother, burst through the door and shouted, "Breakfast is ready, Alex!" The Snitch found its chance and darted out the door. Alex, immediately, got off the floor and followed the gold blur. Francis chased after Alex and the Snitch. It raced down the stairs and into the kitchen, where breakfast was being prepared by Alex's mother.

"_Immobulus_!" shouted Alex's mother, pointing her wand at the Snitch. It froze in mid-air. _Clink! _It fell to the floor, with its wings still spread. "Alex, how many times have I told you to keep that thing under control?"

"Now, now, Jennifer. Let the boy have some fun." Alex's father was speaking as he came down the stairs. "Besides, a Golden Snitch is not exactly easy to contain."

"He obviously gets it from you, Henry." Jennifer shook her head and went back to making scrambled eggs.

Alex bent down and picked up the Snitch. "What am I supposed to do with a Snitch that doesn't fly," he complained.

Jennifer pulled her wand out again, tapped the Snitch with the tip of her wand and said, "_Finite Incantatem._"The Snitch's wings buzzed back to life, but Alex had a firm grip on it. He ran upstairs to his room and put it back into the wooden box. The box was, then, placed safely in a drawer. Looking out the window, Alex could see the family owl carrying the mail.

"Curtis is back with the mail!" Alex shouted, as he ran down the stairs. Alex went to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of milk. He grabbed a plate of eggs and two pieces of toast and sat down at the kitchen table. Henry and Francis were already eating their eggs and toast. Curtis flew in, landed on his perch near the window, and dropped a bundle of letters, bound together by string, onto a plate below his perch.

"_Accio mail,_" Henry said, pointing his wand at the plate of letters. The stack of letters rose from the plate and landed in his lap. The Daily Prophet was on the top, showing a picture of an old man in scarlet and gold robes. His beard was long and white. People were around him, applauding. The headline read "Hogwarts Headmaster Dubbed Greatest Wizard In History". "Looks like Dumbledore is pretty happy," Henry said, untying the rest of the mail. Witch Weekly was under The Daily Prophet. Bills and ads were also in the pile. On the bottom of the heap was an envelope written with green ink.

"Alex, your letter from Hogwarts has finally arrived. Here." Henry handed the letter to his excited son. Speechless, Alex dashed outside and jumped on his broomstick. Alex kicked his Silver Arrow off the ground and flew into the air. He went to the bedroom window of his best friend next door, William, and knocked loudly against the glass.

"Hey, Winchester! Wake up, you lazy dungbomb!" Not even the tiniest sign of movements under those sky-blue sheets. "Wake up! We're going to Hogwarts!"

In that moment, William opened his eyes and turned over to see his neighbor floating outside his window.

"Wha?" he uttered, still half-asleep. William made an effort to lug himself out of his comfortable bed and open the window. "I wake up and the first thing I see is you hovering outside my window. Does that seem strange to you? Cause it does to me."

"I got my Hogwarts letter! Look!" Alex held the envelope up for William to see.

"I just woke up. I'll meet you downstairs in the kitchen." He closed the window and went to the closet to get dressed while Alex drifted down to the door and entered the house. He knows this house as much as he knows his own house. Alex walked straight ahead the hallway and ended up in the kitchen. William's father was a Muggle, but his mom's a Witch, so the interior of the house was decorated with non-moving pictures and The London Times comes through the mail, as well as The Daily Prophet.

"Hello, Mrs. Winchester."

"Good morning, Alex. Would you like some breakfast?" Marian asked.

"That's alright. I've already eaten." Alex replied.

"Is that a Hogwarts letter you have there, Alex?"

"Yes, it is. I got it this morning. I'm very excited about it."

"Well, that's wonderful. William's letter came in the mail this morning, too. What a pleasant surprise."

William came down the stairs, in a red t-shirt and khakis. "What's a pleasant surprise?"

"Your Hogwarts letter is on the table over there."

"Thanks, mom."

Alex and William sat down at the kitchen table. William's mother set a plate of pancakes and sausage in front of him. Alex reached over and snatched a sausage link.

"Thanks, Will," he said, munching on it. William continued to eat his pancakes, not paying attention to the missing sausage.

Alex opened the envelope and read the letter inside.

"Wow, I can't believe we finally get to go to Hogwarts!" he replied.

William finished his food and opened his envelope, too.

"Where do we get all this stuff?" he said, after reading it. Alex grinned at him.

"Diagon Alley."


	2. Diagon Alley

Excited as ever, Alex rushed home as fast as he could.

"Mom! Dad! We're going to Diagon Alley!" he screamed, as he entered the door. Alex ran upstairs into his parents' room. Jennifer was helping Henry put his robe on. Henry turned to Alex as he was putting his wand into his pocket.

"We know, Alex. There's only a month left before school starts. Best to get your supplies as soon as possible. Come on, Jennifer. Get dressed."

"Alright. Back in a flash." With that, she disappeared with a loud _crack!_ A second later, another loud _crack!_ and she came back, wearing a purple robe. "Alright we're ready."

The three went downstairs and prepared to go to Diagon Alley. Jennifer turned and yelled upstairs to Francis, "Francis! We're going out! There's food in the fridge if you get hungry! We'll be back soon! Love you!"

"Bye, mom. Take as long as you want," he replied. The sound of a door closing soon followed after.

Alex and his parents lined up in front of the fireplace. Each one went to the bucket of Floo Powder and grabbed a handful of the magic dust. Alex's father went first. He stepped into the empty fireplace and said, "Diagon Alley." as he threw the powder on the floor and disappeared in an array of green flames. After the fire had vanished, Alex and his mother did the same thing.

A fireplace was specially made and put behind The Leaky Cauldron to take care of all of the Wizards coming to Diagon Alley by Floo Powder. The Lancastlers arrived at this fireplace seconds after using the powder. Alex brushed himself off.

"Whoo! What a rush! I love doing that," he said. His parents smiled at him and they walked into the street. Witches and wizards filled the bustling little area, carrying shopping bags full of magical wonders. Little kids walked with their parents while pointing at items in the shop windows and murmuring to each other. Alex's mother grabbed Alex's hand and said, "Come on, Alex. Let's go get your robes first, so you can wear them while you're shopping."

"While you guys are doing that, I will go get your schoolbooks and a little surprise for Alex." Henry winked at her and walked through the crowd towards Flourish and Blotts.

Alex and his mother decided to go to Gringotts since Henry had all the money with him. As they walked through the horde of people, the tall marble structure came into view. Alex gazed at the incredibly large building holding vast amounts of riches beyond his wildest dreams. In his bewildered stupor, Alex accidentally bumped into a girl.

"Oh, sorry," he managed to say.

"It's alright. It was my fault. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," she said, smiling. Her dark brown hair fell in front of her face and she brushed behind her ear. Purple eyes glistened in the sunlight and put Alex into another trance. Alex bent down and helped her pick up the books she had.

"Are you going to Hogwarts this year?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm very excited. Are you?"

"Yes. I'm buying my school supplies right now."

"Well, thanks for helping me pick up my things. I'll see you at school, then."

"Wait, what's your name?"

Too late. She had already disappeared into the mass of people.

Alex sighed. He thought maybe he'd meet her again at school. Hopefully, he will.

"Come on, dear." His mother motioned for him. They entered the bank and went to the counter.

"Lancastler. Vault 821, please," Jennifer politely said to the goblin sitting at the desk, eating a pastry. The tiny goblin stepped off his stool and went to the cabinet to retrieve a vault key.

"Here you are ma'am," he growled and went back to eating his pastry. "Kronk will escort you to your vault." He pointed to the goblin standing at the entrance of the caverns.

"Thank you."

Quickly, they walked to Kronk and they stepped into the cart. Alex held on tight to the sides, hoping he wouldn't fall out. Twists and turns made him feel uneasy, but they finally arrived at their vault.

"Key, please," Kronk growled. Jennifer handed the key over and he opened the massive door. Gold, silver and bronze filled the vault, almost halfway to the top.

"Wow," Alex said softly.

"Your father and I have been saving up for you to go to Hogwarts. We knew we needed money for you supplies, so we were smart and saved our money, just for you."

She took out a large bag from her robes and opened it wide. "Here, Alex. Hold this."

Alex held the bag while his mother filled it with many Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Surprisingly, the bag felt weightless to Alex. He peered inside and saw that it didn't fill at all. The coins fell to the bottom, but never seemed to pile up. Alex's mother took the bag from him and closed it. As she pulled the strings, the sack shrunk to the size of an apple and she dropped into her robes.

"I love Bottomless Bags. Very useful when shopping," she said, getting back into the cart. Again the cart swerved and rocked its way back to the top. Alex's mother gave the key to Kronk and left. Alex followed her closely as they stepped out into the sunlight again.

"Now that we have the money, the real shopping begins." Alex's mother laughed and made her way with Alex to Madame Malkin's.

As they arrived, Madame Malkin greeted them with a very hearty welcome.

"Welcome to Madame Malkin's. Robes for every age and occasion. Casual robes and fancy robes. Silk or cotton. All the robes for your taste," she bellowed.

"Yes, um. My son is getting ready to go to Hogwarts and he needs robes for school."

"Oh, yes, yes. The little darling is so cute. Very handsome. And tall, too." She rushed to the back and reappeared with a black robe. "Try this one, dear. Black silk with a winter hood when it gets cold." Alex grabbed it and put it on. It fit perfectly. He flipped the hood over his head and turned to his mother.

"What do you think, mother?"

She walked around him, looking up and down for any rips or tears in the robes. "Very handsome you are, Alex," she said, smiling at him. "We'll take three of them and a black winter cloak if you have one."

"Very good. Three it is and a cloak." Madame Malkin rushed to the back and retrieved three of the black silk robes and a cloak made with the same material. "That's sixteen Galleons and eleven Sickles." Jennifer reached into the bag and paid her with seventeen Galleons. Madame Malkin gave back six sickles. "Thank you for your purchase of fine robes from Madame Malkin's! Come back next year and have a great school year!"

"Thank you!" Alex put one of the robes on and felt very comfortable wearing it.

Next, they headed to Eeylops Owl Emporium to pick out an owl. As they entered the shop, all the owls hooted and jumped in their cages. So many types of owls filled the cages. There were snow owls and screech owls and tawny owls. Alex looked around at the many different types of owls and found one that he liked a lot. It was a brown barn owl with pointy ears and very large eyes. It looked at Alex curiously with its yellow eyes and turned its head sideways. Alex mimicked the bird and turned his head to match up with the owl's head.

"Mom, I found one," he shouted. He picked up the cage and set it in front of the cashier.

"That'll be twenty five Galleons," he said. Alex's mother came and paid him.

Holding the cage up in front of him, Alex said, "I think I'll name her Aerawin. I like that name. Hello, Aerawin." He smiled at the owl and she stared back at him, fluttering its wings lightly and hooting softly.

The next stop was Ollivander's Wand Shop to get the most important item on the shopping list. As Alex entered the store, Mr. Ollivander was up on a ladder, putting boxes on the overflowing shelves.

"Ah, Jennifer. Long time no see. Ten and a half inch willow with unicorn tail hair if I remember, right?"

"Yes, sir. Always have it with me," she replied.

Looking down at Alex, he said, "And this must be your son." Ollivander stuck his hand and Alex shook it, to be polite.

"My name is Alex."

"Getting ready for school I see," he said, noticing the owl and the robes.

"Alex. Are you ready for your wand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, your wand is ready to choose you," Ollivander said, as he climbed on top of the ladder again. He slid down the rows of boxes and retrieved one with careful decisiveness. "Here. Try this one. Thirteen and a half hazel with phoenix tail feather. Only a few can have the privilege of having a phoenix feather core and you are among those few. It can produce very powerful magic if used correctly. Give it a swish," he said, handing the wand to Alex. Not knowing what would happen, Alex waved the wand in the air. The empty box burst into flames and in its place was a white mouse. It scurried off into a hole in the wall as Alex stood there, staring in amazement.

"Was that me?" he whispered.

"Looks like it's another good match," Ollivander said, wiping the ashes from the counter. "That'll be thirty Galleons, for the young lad." The wand was paid for and they were done with all the items they needed. There was the matter of meeting Alex's father to see if he had gotten all the other supplies for him. They left the shop and the sun was high in the air. Holding the wand in his hand, Alex felt empowered. He couldn't wait to learn new spells and use them, like a real wizard.

"Alex! Jennifer! Over here!"

It was Henry, carrying a large pewter cauldron in his hands. Alex and his mother rushed over to help him with heavy load. As he was helping his father, Alex peered inside the cauldron. His schoolbooks were in there, along with a couple of quills and parchment. Folded beside them was a silver cloth that shimmered like water. A cage sat on top of the books, holding a small yellow bird with ruby-like eyes. It jumped excitedly in its cage and chirped happily. Dragon scale gloves were in the midst of items and so were a silver telescope, a bronze scale and a number of different-sized crystal vials.

"Well, I think I've gotten all of the things you need. Let's see. Lucky dragon-hide gloves, made from a Chinese Fireball. Pewter Cauldron, size 2. Precision-made silver telescope. A set of bronze scales. Oh, and your surprises." He picked up the cage. "This is a snidget. It's a fast little devil. As fast as the Golden Snitch, they say. It's yours to keep for sending messages in a hurry." He set the cage back into the cauldron and picked up the silver cloth. "And this is an Invisibility Cloak. Anything under this cloth shall appear to vanish under its magical veil." He wrapped the cloak around his hand to show it disappearing under the cloth. "This is also yours to keep for any emergencies. Well, now that we have everything we need, let's go home."

Once again, the three went to the fireplace behind The Leaky Cauldron and Henry pulled out the bag of Floo Powder. They all departed in another assortment of green flames and arrived at the comfort of their own home.


	3. First Impressions

With only a couple days left in August, Alex and William spent their afternoons practicing their spells and waiting for the first of September to finally come. When they got tired of reading spellbooks, they would get the Snitch out and ride on their brooms, trying to catch it. They didn't have a quaffle or anything, so that was the only thing they could do. In the mean time, Alex trained his new snidget, Kaza, to carry notes. The first few times, it didn't work. Kaza would drop the note or it would fly back to Alex without delivering the slip of paper. Finally, after three days, Kaza managed to carry a note to William's house. Alex was so happy. For fast delivery, Alex could use Kaza instead of Aerawin. Kaza could also pass a note in class without being easily seen. After all, he was only the size of a walnut.

Days passed and the journey to King's Cross came near. On the night before the departure, Alex and William stood outside the grass, facing each other a couple feet away, wands raised.

"You ready, Will?"

"I've been ready."

"Alright, then. _Expelliarmus!" _White sparks came out of the tip of Alex's wand and hit William, causing his wand to fly into the air. Alex reached out and caught it in his other hand. "William, William, William. You really need to work on that whole 'losing your wand' thing. It's not really the best idea, you know." He gave the wand back. "What kind of wand is that?"

"Uh, thirteen inches cedar with dragon heartstring. What about you?"

"Mine's thirteen and a half hazel with phoenix tail feather," he replied, helping William off the ground. "I think that's enough for tonight. We're starting school tommorow. We need our rest. First impressions are very important, you know. I'll see you in the morning." Alex waved to his friend and they both went inside their houses.

Alex went upstairs to his room and began packing his things. He made sure to bring his Invisibilty Cloak and his Golden Snitch. The cloak, he definitely wanted to bring. He stacked his books over it, to make sure the cloak wouldn't get stolen or anything. He then, folded his robes and put them neatly into the trunk. He packed all of his other belongings and closed the lid. The emerald green case had his initials carved in black, AJL. He slid the trunk over into the corner and got ready for bed. To make sure he didn't forget his wand, he put it on top of the case and climbed into bed. He turned off the light and fell asleep as his head fell on the pillow.

The sun shone through the window, waking the sleeping boy from his slumber. Alex opened his eyes and felt the warm sunlight on his face. He smiled as he saw the blue sky outside his window. Feeling great, Alex jumped out of bed and got dressed. As he was pulling his jeans on, his alarm went off. Pulling on a red shirt, he turned it off. It was ten o' clock, which meant only one more hour until he was on the Hogwarts Express, heading off to his first day at the great school of magic. He couldn't wait.

Sliding down the banister, Alex made his way into the kitchen. The smell of pancakes met his nose and his mouth began to water.

"Pancakes smell good, mom," he said, sitting down with his brother and father, who were already eating. His mother came by and set down a plate of pancakes in front of him. Pouring syrup over them, he quickly ate them in about five minutes. "Thanks, mom."

He went upstairs and brushed his teeth, making sure to rinse his mouth out with mouthwash. Morning breath isn't excactly all that great to start the day. Minty fresh and ready to go, Alex went to his room and fetched his trunk and suitcase. There were light as a feather, thanks to the light-weight charm his mother put on them. Kicking the trunk and suitcase like pucks down the stairs, he carried his bird cage, which held both Aerawin and Kaza inside. Alex heard his stuff land downstairs and he ran back into his room to get his wand.

"I'm ready!" he yelled, coming out of his room, with the wand behind his ear and the cage still in his hands.

"Wait one minute," his mom yelled back.

Alex sighed. He literally couldn't wait. The train would leave in about thirty minutes. He took the wand from behind his ear and twirled it with his fingers. After a minute or two, his mother came from the kitchen, taking her apron off.

"Alright, dear. Let's go," she said, fixing her long black hair. She opened the front door and made her way to the car they hardly ever drove. It was a black Mazda that was still in pretty good condition, considering they only drove when they went to Muggle areas like King's Cross station, for example. She opened the trunk and went back to get Alex's belongings. Alex was still standing in the doorway, looking up at the sky.

"Hey, Alex!"

He turned around and caught a pouch his dad threw, hearing the coins jingling inside.

"That's some money for you to have, you know. Just in case," his dad said, giving him a hug and ruffling his hair.

"Thanks, dad," Alex replied, feeling the coins inside the bag.

"Come on, Alex!" his mom said, from the car. Alex let go of his dad and slipped into the passenger seat of the car, waving good-bye. The car roared off and they were on their way to the train station.

As they pulled into the parking lot of the station, Alex saw a lot of kids his age, pushing carts filled with the same items that were in the trunk of the car. He figured they were all going to the same place he was. Alex pulled out all of his things from the trunk while his mom got a metal cart. Oddly, he didn't see William anywhere. Knowing William, Alex came to the conclusion that he was already on the train. They would meet up sooner or later. Alex pushed his cart as they entered the train station, looking for the platform he had to go to.

"Mother, what platform do we go to?" he asked, looking at where all the other kids were going. They seemed to be heading towards platform nine. Alex's mother pulled out the golden train ticket.

"Platform nine and three quarters, dear," she said, handing him the ticket.

"Platform nine and three quarters?"

"Yes, between platforms nine and ten," she explained. "Here we are."

A mob of children stood between the two platforms, all chattering with each other. Alex looked through the crowd and spotted William, standing with his parents. They made eye contact and waved to each other. Alex strolled his cart over and stood with them.

"You all ready to go?" he said, stopping the cart in front of them.

"Ready as I'll ever be," William replied.

"Well, how do we get to the platform?"

"Beats me."

"Come on, darling. All you have to do is run into the wall without stopping." Alex's mother said, pointing at the solid brick wall between platforms nine and ten.

"You're kidding me, right? You want me to run into that wall?"

"That's right, dear. Don't worry."

"Easy for you to say."

"Just do it."

"Fine. Here goes nothing!"

Alex pushed his cart around and faced the brick wall. At running speed, he charged , waiting to crash into the brick wall and look like an idiot. Oddly enough, he appeared on the other side, completely unharmed. Letting out his breath, Alex relaxed and stared at an enormous red train in front of him. Parents were saying their good-byes and hugging their children to death, not wanting to let go. Just then, William popped out of the wall and stopped beside him.

"Whoa," he said.

"I know," Alex said. "Let's get on the train before it leaves."

The two friends carried their luggage onto the train, trying to find a seat. Alex wondered if he would see that girl from Diagon Alley again and looked around for her, but didn't see her anywhere. They arrived near the end of the train, where a compartment was occupied by a single person. He had shaggy brown hair and blue eyes that looked like Will's, but lighter in color. He sat there, reading a Quidditch magazine. Alex and William put their stuff in the overhead compartment and sat down on the opposite side of the box. Alex decided to introduce himself and stuck out his hand to the stranger.

"Hello, name's Alexander Jacob Lancastler and my friend here is good ol' William Winchester. How are you?"

The boy looked up from his magazine. "Damien Wolfe. Pleased to meet you, both." He set down the magazine and the three of them shook hands. Outside the booth, more people began to fill the other compartments. A shadow came over their door as someone put their stuff overheaad. The door slid open, revealing another boy standing in the doorway. He was short and breathing heavily.

"Man, those bags are heavy," he said, accidently sitting on Damien's Quidditch magazine.

"Um, excuse me. Your'e sitting on my magazine," Damien said.

"Oh, terribly sorry." The strange boy pulled the magazine from under him and handed it back to Damien. "Name's Elliot McDren," he said and they shook hands. Elliot stuck his hand in front of Alex and William and they shook hands as well. They could hear steam escape from the top of the train and the intercom came on.

"Please be seated in one of the compartments on the train. We will be leaving shortly. Thank you," it blared.

"Finally," Alex muttered, "I can't wait to get to school."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," William said.

A very large boy walked by the compartment in a hurry, looking for a place to sit. Since all the seats were filled, he came back to the booth with Alex, William, Damien and Elliot.

"Can I sit with you guys?" he said, pleadingly. For a second, nobody moved, but Alex and William scooted over in their seats and let the blonde boy sit down beside them. "Thank you so much," he said, sitting down. "My name is Jack Flinten." Everyone introduced themselves, just as the train pulled out of the station.

The train was pleasant and smooth. The new friends talked about themselves and what they did over the summer and such. Elliot's father was a Muggle policeman for London and his mother was a witch who worked at The Three Broomsticks. He was the only other half-blood other than William. Damien was an orphan whose parents died before he could walk. He and his sister were placed in a Muggle orphanage until an owl came to the owner. Dumbledore sent Hagrid to pick them up and take them to Diagon Alley. Hogwarts was now their new home until they have to go back when the term ended. Jack had a total of six brothers. All of them were younger and had blonde hair. He was just glad he wouldn't have to see them for a while. As they talked, the food trolley came by and the door opened.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" the plump woman said. Everyone reached into their pockets for money and bought snacks. Alex bought two bags of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, a pumpkin pasty and some Brimstone gum. William bought some licorice wands and a chocolate frog. Damien and Elliot each bought five chocolate frogs and Jack bought a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, five pumpkin pasties, three chocolate frogs, two licorice wands, and four Cauldron Cakes.

"You think you got enough food there, Jack?" Alex said, eating his pumpkin pasty. Jack wasn't paying attention. He was too busy eating the massive pile of food in his lap. Meanwhile, William was eating one of his licorice wands and Damien and Elliot were opening their packets of chocolate frogs. Damien took his chocolate frog and placed it in his open palm.

"Watch this," he said and pulled out his wand. "_Animate."_

The frog jumped to life and started doing backflips in his hand. Then, it stopped and started dancing. Everyone laughed and Elliot put his frog in his palm, too.

"Let me try," he said and pulled out his wand. "_Animate." _His frog twitched violently in his hand and vomitted all over his hand. Everyone jumped back in shock as chunky pieces of chocolate formed a pool in Elliot's hand.

Alex laughed. "Damien's frog was definitely better than yours, Elliot. You need to work on your magic a little." Elliot's face turned red and he left the booth, trying not to drip chocolate all over the aisle.

Finishing the last bite of his pumpkin pasty, Alex opened a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He picked out a yellow one, striped with white.

"Mmm, banana split," he said, offering the bag of candy to everyone. Every took a few, except for Jack, who was still eating his food.

"I got cherry," William said.

Exhaling sharply, Damien said, "Mine's mint."

They went on eating the flavored jelly-beans, getting good ones like green apple and chocolate chip cookie and a few bad ones like grass and garlic. Finally, Elliot came back from the bathroom, wiping his hands on his shirt.

"God, I didn't know chocolate was so hard to clean off," he said, sitting back down and opening another chocolate frog. This time, he didn't try to use magic. He just ate it and looked at the card he got. "Godric Gryffindor. I only have one of these. Maybe it'll be the house I'm sorted into."

Alex scoffed. "What makes you think you'll be picked for Gryffindor? You don't look like the courageous type."

"Shut up. It's not like I'm saying I will. I just hope I will. What about you?"

"What?"

"What house do you think you'll be put in?"

"Ravenclaw."

"Ravenclaw?"

"Yes, you twit. You heard me. Ravenclaw."

"Why Ravenclaw? Don't you want to be in Gryffindor?"

"I'm not saying I don't want to be in Gryffindor. I'm just saying that I'll most likely be in Ravenclaw."

"Why? You think you're smart?"

"Smarter than you, obviously," he said, chuckling. "Now, be a good little boy and let me eat my jelly-beans."

Everyone held back their laughs, but it was all too much to handle. All of them burst out in giggles. Elliot sat there quietly, eating his chocolate frogs and collecting the cards inside. The intercom came on again.

"We are approaching our destination and will arrive shortly. Please change into your robes."

The sky outside darkened and the lights came on on the train. The new friends came out of the booth and got their trunks. They all changed into their school clothes and slipped on their robes. Alex looked at himself. He thought about his individuality, so he made a few adjustments to his uniform. He took off the grey vest and undid the top button in his shirt. He put the robe back on and looked at himself again.

"Much better," he said to himself.

"Did you say something, Alex?" William asked, puting on his robe.

"It was nothing. Don't worry about it," he replied, putting his wand in his robes.

At last, the train stopped and the intercom came on.

"We have arrived at Hogwarts. Please get your luggage from the overhead compartments and don't forget anything on the train. Hope you had a wonderful trip."

Everyone got their stuff and got off the train. They stood there as the train pulled out and left. A girl walked by and bumped into Elliot.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" he said.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"You better be, you wretch."

She turned around and glared at him. Alex could see her brown eyes. They had gold specks in them that burned with intensity. She was holding a cage with a black veil over it. Whatever was inside, cawed loudly.

"It's ok, Edgar," she said, softly.

"Edgar? What kind of name is Edgar for an owl?"

The girl took off the veil, revealing a black bird inside.

"It's a raven, you moron. Not a stupid owl."


	4. Home Away From Home

Elliot was fuming and the girl was still glaring at him. Leaves rustled nearby and she looked up at the trees. A large figure came from the shadows, carrying a lantern. All the children turned to see who it was. The man stepped out and stood over the students, shadowing them with his enormous coat on.

"Hello, first years. Welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Hagrid. I am the gamekeeper here and I teach Care of Magical Creatures." His voice was deep and cheerful. A bushy beard covered his mouth and shook as he talked.

"Hagrid!" Damien called from the crowd. Hagrid smiled at him and waved.

"Come children. Let's head to the boats. Don't worry about your belongings. They'll be taken care of." The kids followed Hagrid closely through the trees. As they walked, a castle came into view. Numerous towers loomed over the school and overlooked the grass. Alex stared in wonder as he looked at his home for the next ten months. A few other kids noticed it and were whispering to each other. Alex didn't notice where he was going and stopped just in time before he was about to step into the lake. He exhaled sharply when he saw his toes an inch away from touching the water. The surface of the lake was shimmering in the moonlight and caught the reflection of the caslte. Alex looked in and smiled at himself.

Everyone piled into the boats. Alex, William and Damien got into one and Jack followed them. The boat rocked as he stepped in. The others stifled back their laughter. When everyone was in a boat, the lanterns on each boat flickered on. The boats shifted off the banks and headed to the castle. Alex dipped his hand into the water and felt the cool rush of the waves. He closed his eyes and relaxed. His fingers felt something in the water. He opened his eyes and looked over the edge of the boat. A mermaid had swam up and held his hand. She stuck her head out of the water and said something, but Alex couldn't understand what she said. The other kids had turned around to see what the noise was. They stared at her as she held Alex's hand and watched to see what would happen next. The mermaid dove into the water and came back up with something in her hand. Everyone in the boat leaned forward to see what it was. She placed it in Alex's hand and closed his fingers over it. She smiled at him and retreated back into the water. Alex was staring at his closed hand. He felt the object in his palm and opened his fingers, one by one. In his hand was a gold seashell. It was pointed and had swirls at the end of the tip. There was an opening at the top of the swirl and three more holes in a line along the side of the seashell. Alex put it in his robes as a keepsake.

"Always getting the girls," William said.

Alex shrugged. "What can I say?" he said, inoccently smiling.

The boats glided along the water and landed at the other side of the lake in a matter of minutes. Everyone climbed out and followed Hagrid to the entrance of the school. The wooden double doors stood high and had the school motto written over the frame. Alex walked with his friends through the doors and arrived in a large with a grand marble staircase ahead of them. Four hour-glasses stood against the wall on the right. Each of them was a different color. Green, red, blue and yellow. At the foot of the stairs, there stood a tall, black-haired woman in emerald robes. Hagrid led the group to the stairs.

"Here they are, professor. All yours," Hagrid said to her.

"Thank you, Hagrid," she said. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said to the children, "I am Professor McGonagall. The Great Banquet will start shortly, but before that, you must sorted into your houses by the Sorting Hat. Follow me." She led the children through th hallway to the Great Hall. "There are four houses," she continued, "Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Each house has a professor as their Head of House. I am the Head of House for Gryffindor. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, is the Head of Ravenclaw. Professor Snape, who teaches Potions, is the Head of Slytherin and Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, is the Head of Hufflepuff. Now, when you get to the Great Hall, please form a line in front of the Sorting Hat. I will call your name out and you will come and sit on the stool. I will put the Sorting Hat on your head and it will decide which house you will be in. When you hear the house you are in, sit down at your house table and wait for everyone to be sorted. When everyone has been sorted, the feast will begin. As a member of each house, you must behave and earn points for your house. Points are given when a student has been good like answering a question correctly and points can be deducted if a student has been bad like breaking a school rule. Professors will decide how points are given and taken so be good and don't do anything to upset the teacher."

Professor McGonagall finished explaining everything and stopped in front of another set of double-doors. She opened the doors and stepped into the Great Hall. Candles floated in the air, illuminating the walls. The ceiling was a starry night with the moon hanging high in the sky. A long table was at the front of the room. All the teachers were stiing in the row with a long-bearded, white-haired wizard in the middle. The children proceeded through the doors and looked around nervously. The crowd roared in applause as the new-comers walked down the aisle to the Sorting Hat, which was sitting on the three-legged stool. The pointed hat was black and old. It was patched up and stitched together in a number of places. Suddenly, one of the stitches opened and the hat began to sing.

_Oh, welcome to Hogwarts, the school that ticks_

_New students, don't be frightened by me_

_Step up, step up, there are no tricks_

_Just stand and listen to the old bat_

_She'll call the names proudly_

_Just sit on the stool and think_

_And I'll shout your house loudly_

_Whether you're brave and loyal, smart and witty_

_Friendly and wild, or pure and cunning_

_I'll decide your destined place_

_Each house is certainly quite stunning_

_So what are you waiting for?_

_Come and you will see_

_Lion, raven, snake or badger_

_What animal will you be?_

The crowd stood up and thunderous applause filled the room. After a minute, it died down and Professor Mcgonagall unrolled a sheet of parchment.

"Rachel Abbot," she said aloud.

A black-haired girl with dark brown eyes walked up slowly and sat in the stool. Professor McGonagall put the hat on her.

"A friendly Hufflepuff, this one," Rachel smiled and walked to the Hufflepuff table.

"Agatha Berch," Professor McGonagall called.

A red-headed girl with a ponytail walked up and sat in the stool. She held on to the edge of the chair tightly, making her knuckles turn white. Her eyes were closed and her teeth were clenched. The hat pondered for a moment.

"Hmm, interesting," it said, "I think you'll do nicely in... GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table applauded. Agatha opened her eyes and smiled as she made her way to a seat. Professor McGonagall continued with the list.

"Christopher Douglas." A brunette boy with hazel eyes came up and put on the hat.

"Very gifted, this one. Ravenclaw for sure," the hat proclaimed. The boy made his way to the Ravenclaw table, who were cheering.

"Artemis Egeus," Professor McGonagall read aloud. The girl who had the raven sat at the stool. The candlelight made her dark brown eyes gleam and gold sparkles were seen inside her irises.

"Another great mind. So creative and insightful. ANOTHER RAVENCLAW," it shouted. she took the hat off and sat next to Chris. Another girl was called, Jennifer Enman, and was placed in Hufflepuff.

"Persephone Flanigan."

A blonde-haired girl with silver-green eyes walked up.

"Ravenclaw!"

Next, Jack was called up. He sat in the stool and set the hat on his head.

"Ah, a brave and determined Gryffindor," the hat mused.

"Raymond Hunter."

"Hufflepuff!"

"Walter Knight."

"Definitely a Slytherin by heart," the hat said, when he put it on.

"Alexander Lancastler."

Alex took a deep breath and walked to the stool. The hat was placed on his head and Alex waited.

"What a mind this one has. Intelligent and witty and yet, somehow he is pure Gryffindor. Hmm, he would do very well in Ravenclaw, but, I think it would be better if he was Gryffindor." Alex smiled and walked to the Gryffindor table. He sat beside Agatha and watched the rest of the students get sorted.

"Elliot McDren."

Elliot stepped up. He put the hat on.

"Well, well, well. This is a difficult one." The hat paused for a moment. "I have come to the conclusion of...Gryffindor."

"Yes!" Elliot said, walking to the table and sitting across from Alex.

"Ava Nichols." Alex's jaw dropped and his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe it was her. Those beautiful purple eyes. He couldn't forget them. Ava sat on the stool and brushed her dark-brown hair behind her ear before putting the hat on.

"Yes, wonderful. Great inner strength. She is worthy to be...Gryffindor!" it said. Ava walked by Alex and brushed by his shoulder. She turned and winked at him, stting at the table.

A girl named Ziona Ringlet was placed in Slytherin and an extremely tall boy named Timothy Smith was placed in Gryffindor. Tim came and sat next to Elliot. Then, William was called up and Alex watched intently as the hat was put on.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled. Alex clapped loudly along with the rest of the Gryffindor table. William sat down next to Alex and gave high-five. The only people left were Damien and another girl who was wearing a cloak over her head.

"Damien Wolfe," Professor McGonagall called.

He stepped up and put the hat on.

"Yes," the hat began, "very interesting boy here." A long pause followed. "Gryffindor!"

Damien came and sat down across from William and they all waited for the last person to be sorted.

"Lillia Wolfe."

The hooded girl stood there and removed her cloak, revealing icy blue hair and silver eyes. Around her forehead, a crescent moon charm was shining in the light.

"Please come up and," Professor McGonagall started to say. The Sorting Hat interrupted her in mid-sentence.

"That won't be necessary, professor." The hat turned and looked at Lillia. Lillia nodded and headed to the Slytherin table. Murmurs and confused whispers went through the tables.

"What happened?" a Ravenclaw boy said.

"Was she sorted into Slytherin?" a Hufflepuff girl asked.

"Quiet, please." The wizard sitting in the middle of the head table had stood up. " Welcome to Hogwarts, students, old and new. I am the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Today, we start a new school year and hope for another exciting term, here at Hogwarts. Please enjoy yourself as we begin the feast." He waved his arms and the plates on the tables filled with food. The goblets filled with drinks and everyone began filling their mouths with as much food as they could. The sound of chatter and forks and knives was heard eveywhere. Alex picked out some chicken and mashed potatoes and carrots and poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice. He ate and ate until he was so full, he could burst. He looked over at William.

"This is great," he said, taking a sip from his goblet.

"Yeah, I know," William replied, picking some roast beef out of his teeth.

The plates of food disappeared and were replaced by platters of cake and cookies and pastries and candy.

"I don't know if I can eat anymore," Alex said. He reached for a cookie and ate it. "Maybe just one more," he said to himself. After about five more cookies, Alex sat back and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Okay, now I can't eat anymore," he said to William. They laughed and put their goblets together. All the new Gryffindors raised theirs cups, as well. "Here's to new friends," he said, clanging his goblet with everyone. Everyone nodded and drank their pumpkin juice.

Dumbledore stood up again and eveyone stopped talking to listen to what he was going to say.

"I hope you all had a wonderful time at the banquet, but it is time for us to go to bed. Prefects, please lead the first years to the dormitories and tell them the rules of the living quarters. Good night, everyone. Get lots of rest, for tomorrow, classes start promptly at eight."

A tall blonde-headed boy came to where Alex and the rest of the first years sat.

"Hello, I am Jeremy Colfer, your prefect. I am responsible for your safety as Gryffindors and you must listen to what I say," he explained. "Come with me and I will show you your bedrooms." Everyone followed Jeremy up the stairs and they arrive at more stairs. "Careful where you step, here. These staircases switch around during the day. He was right. One of the staircases above them swung from the left to the right, making some of the girls jump back. "Don't worry about it too much. You'll always find your way around." They crossed the moving staircases and came to a portrait of a large woman wearing a pink dress. Jeremy stood in front of the painting, facing the first years. "When you get to this spot, recite the password and The Fat Lady will let you into the Gryffindor common room. Do not, I repeat, do not forget the password." He turned around and faced the painting. "Dragon dust," he said and the painting swung open, revealing a circular doorway. They all filed into the common room. Everything in the room was red and gold. A fireplace stood at one end of the room, surrounded by comfy sofas and armchairs. Tables were spread out and stairs were on each side of the room. The stair were marked BOYS and GIRLS. "The stairs lead up to the bedrooms. Under no circumstances are boy allowed into the girls' dormitories and no girls are allowed into the boys' dormitories. Well, that's it. Good night." Jeremy headed off to the stairs marked BOYS and disappeared.

The group split into boys and girls and they all headed up the correct stairs. Alex and the guys headed up and found doors with their names on them. Alex was put together with William, Elliot, Jack and Damien. They entered the room. Five four-poster beds were set up along the walls, each with a plaque showing a name. At the foot of the beds, were everyone's belongings. On top of their luggage, their were tiny mints. Alex unwrapped one and ate it. He looked at the wrapper. _Pearly Whites. Cleans your teeth within seconds._ It tasted like toothpaste, but it was bearable. Alex looked in the mirror by his bed. His teeth were slick and clean. Everyone undressed and put on their pajamas. They all drifted to sleep as they said their good nights and snoring was the last sound Alex heard before he closed his eyes.


	5. Charmed

Alex was the first to wake in the morning. He turned over in his four-poster bed and saw the sunlight pour into the room. Sitting up in his bed, Alex glanced over at the clock on the wall. 7:05 A.M. Alex decided to get dressed. He opened his trunk to find all of his clothes imprinted with the Gryffindor sign. He dressed the same as the day before, figuring it looked casual. He stood in front of the full-length mirror and smiled at himself. Alex walked back to his bed and found it already made. He shrugged, retrieved his wand and closed his trunk. As he closed the lid, William stirred in his bed. Alex grinned and had the "this is going to be fun" look in his eyes. Walking over to the center of the room, Alex pulled his wand out.

"_Accio Blankets_," he said and with a flick of his wand, all of the blankets came off the beds, revealing the four sleeping boys that hadn't woken up yet. They stirred slightly and felt around the beds for the blankets but felt nothing but the sheets underneath them. William was the first to get out of bed. He fell off the edge and mumbled something under his breath. Alex howled with laughter as William got up from the floor and got dressed. Damien was getting dressed as well. As the two of them got dressed, two of the blankets on the floor flew up and went back on top of William's and Damien's beds. Jack was snoring loudly and Elliot was talking in his sleep. Alex couldn't understand if he was saying evil potatoes or evil tomatoes. The three boys who were awake decided to leave them there and leave to go to breakfast. Before they left, Alex and Damien decided to levitate Jack and Elliot above their beds. As they walked out of the room, they slammed the door as hard as they could. Muffled screams came from inside the bedroom. The three friends went down to breakfast, laughing hysterically.

Scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, orange juice and milk were sitting on the tables in the Great Hall. A handful of students were already up and sitting at the tables, eating. Alex, William and Damien sat down at their table and helped themselves to the assortment of food in front of them. Alex and William had bacon and eggs with milk while Damien had eggs and toast with milk. As they ate, each of their owls had come and dropped off mail for them. None of them had gotten The Daily Prophet, although William had gotten a letter from his mother and Damien recieved some money from Gringotts. Alex had gotten a package sent by his father with a card that said, "This might come in handy. Love, Dad".

"A charms book!" he said excitedly as he opened the box. He set it beside his plate and returned to eating his scrambled eggs.

"Don't you already have a charms book?" William asked, holding a piece of bacon.

"Yeah, but this one has spells that they don't teach in school," Alex replied, grinning. "Which is good because our first class is Charms," he said, looking at the schedules that appeared beside each of their plates. "Let's see, first is Charms, then Tranfiguration, Potions, and Quidditch and lastly, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Wait, Quidditch? I thought we weren't allowed?"

"It's not really Quidditch, it's just flying on brooms and fake practice games," Damien explained with a mouth full of toast and butter.

"Well, at least we get to fly, right?"

"Yeah."

As they talked about their classes for the day, Jack and Elliot appeared at the door. Jack was still half-asleep and Elliot looked really angry. They came over and sat down. Jack grabbed an empty plate and began filling it with his breakfast. Elliot stared at Alex, still clenching his teeth.

"Nice prank this morning," he said, still staring at Alex. Alex looked up from his plate, smiling. "Very funny."

"Why, thank you. I would like to thank my assistant in this devious act," Alex replied, patting Damien on his back. Damien tipped his glass of milk towards Elliot and nodded.

"I'll get you back," Elliot threatened.

"I'd like to see you try," Alex said, finishing his cup of milk and reaching for a "Pearly Whites" mint. As he reached his hand over, a silver translucent head popped out of the table. Alex quickly withdrew his hand.

"And you are?" he asked, staring at the face in front of him.

"Aren't you a ghost?" William asked, attempting to poke it with his fork.

"Yes, I'm ghost. What do I like? A werewolf? And get that thing away from me. It's highly unlikely you'll be able to prod me with it," the figure said and floated from under the table, revealing the whole height of his ghostly body. He brushed his shoulders and as he did so, his head slipped off and hung by his neck on a tiny piece of skin. They all looked disgusted as the ghost propped his head back on his shoulders. "Sorry about that. I hate it when that happens. Anyway, I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. Ghost of Gryffindor tower," he said proudly.

"You mean, like you haunt the tower or something?" Elliot asked.

"Heavens, no! Nothing like that. Far from it. I simply represent the Gryffindors as a ghost, that's all. All the houses have a ghost. Gryffindors have me, of course. Ravenclaw have the Gray Lady. Slytherins have the Bloody Baron and Hufflepuff have the Fat Friar. Well, I must be going. Nice to meet you all," he said, tipping his head off his neck and floated off the table into the wall. Alex hadn't noticed it when he walked in, but around all four tables, there were ghosts floating around talking to the students.

"Nice fellow, isn't he?" he said, turning his head back to his own plate. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Alex reached over and got his piece of candy and was relieved to see that no ghost came up. He unwrapped the candy and popped in his mouth. Enjoying the clean feeling in his mouth, he headed up the stairs to the dorms. Arriving at the Fat Lady, he gave her the password and entered the common room. It was really quiet with everyone down at breakfast. He entered the room to see that all the beds made and knealt down by his trunk to get his books and school bag. He unlatched it and got his books, some parchment and a quill and stuffed it all in the bag. As he closed the lid on his trunk, William walked in, followed by Damien. Alex sat on the edge of his bed and put his feet up on top of his trunk.

"So, you guys ready for class?" Alex asked, pulling his wand out and waving it around in the air.

"Yeah, just let me get my stuff," William replied, opening his own trunk and retrieving his books, parchment, quill and wand and a similiar school bag. Damien was by his bed doing the same thing. The two of them finished getting their stuff and the three of them, once again, descended the stairs and headed for their first class of the day, Charms.

They arrived in the classroom, which was filled with books stacked high on the tables and loose sheets of parchment everywhere. Several of the students had already arrived and were talking amongst themselves. Most of them were wearing robes that had the Ravenclaw sign on them. Others had the Gryffindor lion. At the front of the room, a short wizard ran around, rearranging stacks of books and picking up piecees of parchment. He looked very flustered and was in a hurry. Each of the three friends sat down at a desk and noticed that there were jewelry boxes on each of the desks. Alex tried to open his and it seemed to be locked so he gave up on it. As they the clock chimed eight times, other students hurried into the room and tried to find a desk to sit in. The last two people to come in were none other than Jack and Elliot. Both of them were panting as they sat down at the two reamaining desks.

The short wizard running around stopped and climbed on top of a stack of books in the center of the room, holding a box that looked like the ones on the desks.

"Welcome, first years. I am Professor Flitwick, most of the Ravenclaws know me, for I am their Head of House," he began and then he called roll. Everyone raised their hand as their name was called and everyone was present. Alex's heart gave a flutter as he heard the name of Ava Nichols. He turned to look if she was really there and there she was, sitting two seats diagonally behind him. When he turned around, she quickly looked away, blushing. "Today, we will learn a simple charm to open locks." Some excited responses came from the students. "In front of each of you are locked boxes. Now, before we began, I want all of you to get your wands out and do as I do." He paused to let everyone get their wands. Jack raised his hand. "Yes, what is it?"

"I," he hesitated a little to finish his sentence, "forgot to bring my wand."

Professor Flitwick sighed. "Go get it," he said, ushering him away with his hand. Jack got up from his desk and left the classroom while Professor Flitwick continued on with the lesson. He raised the box with one hand and in the other, he held his wand and pointed it at the keyhole of the lock.

"_Alohomora_," he said. The box rattled for a moment and the lid flew open. The class applauded as confetti came out of the box and dusted the floor with with many different colors. "Now, it's your turn. Inside each of your boxes, there are chocolate frogs just waiting to be eaten. Remember, just point your wand at the lock and hold it steady. Don't forget to talk clearly," he said and jumped off the stack of books. The room filled with sounds of the students trying to open their boxes.

Alex looked down at his box and raised his wand. He took a deep breath and said, "_Alohomora_." The box rattled a little, but didn't open. Alex was determined to et it open. He took another deep breath and tried again.

"_Alohomora_," he said, more clearly this time. The box rattled again and this time, it opened, revealing a chocolate frog sitting inside. Professor Flitwick was back on top of the stack of books.

"Well done, Alex. Ten points for Gryffindor," he shouted excitedly. Alex smiled at himself for being the first one to open their box. He sat back and enjoyed his delicious reward as he watched his friends achieve what he had just done. First to follow him in correctly using the spell was William who's frog jumped out and landed in his lap. Alex laughed when this happened and William threw him a nasty look. Alex and William spent the time talking after they had finished their chocolate. Some of the Ravenclaw students had their boxes open and also began talking. The bell rang for the next class and only a few of them had not opened their boxes. Professor Flitwick told them to practice their new spell for homework. The next class was Transfiguration. Alex couldn't wait; he left Charms feeling cheerful as he swung his school bag over his shoulder.


	6. Snakes and Snape

Alex, Damien and William made their way through the crowd towards Professor McGonagall's classroom, checking the signs on the doors along the way. Sunlight was streaming through the windows and some of the students were sitting along the walls in the shadow. Other students decided to stop in the halls and talk, but the trio had no time to waste. None of them knew how long they had between each class so they decided to play it safe. As they walked down the hallway, older students were rushing past all the first years, not paying any attention to them. Finally, the troupe arrived and found seats in the middle of the class. The class was Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students again. Alex looked around and Professor McGonagall wasn't anywhere to be found. His eyes met those of Ava's. She smiled, but turned away as the girl next to her showed her the pieces of rope on the desk. Waiting for the class to begin, Alex fiddled with the piece of rope that was sitting on his desk. Bored, he turned around and talked to his friends.

"I wonder where Professor McGonagall is?" he said. William and Damien both shrugged.

The doors of the classroom swung open and everyone turned to look who had entered. Most of the students were disappointed that it wasn't Professor McGonagall and turned back around to face the blackboard. However, Alex watched as the black cat strode through the aisle, and went to the front of the room. It meowed as the bell rang and began changing shape. The room was full of open mouths and wide eyes as the black shape morphed into Professor McGonagall. She gave a little smile as she looked around the room. When the room quieted down a little, Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand and retrieved a piece of rope from her desk.

"_Serpenterra_," she said and tapped the rope with her wand. The rope writhed around and transformed into a brown snake. It hissed and flicked its tongue at the class, causing them to shift backwards in their seats. Professor McGonagall tapped the snake again and it turned back to a piece of limp rope. "Now, " she said, putting the piece of rope back on her desk, "please take out your wands and hold the piece of rope that is on each of your desks." Everyone followed her directions and waited anxiously for her to continue. "Tap the rope and say very clearly '_Serpenterra!_'. Make sure you hold on tightly to your snake, for they will be startled to have you grasping their tail." The class hesitated for a moment, trying to summon up the courage to willingly put a snake in their hands. The boys began practicing the new spell while the girls were still staring down at the pieces of rope, looking as if they would spring to life and attack them, but no one could blame for being scared.

"Come on girls, they won't hurt you unless they feel threatened and even if you do get bit, I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will fix you right up," Professor McGonagall said, sympathetically.

Most of the girls grabbed the pieces of rope and began doing their work slowly. Damien successfully turned his snake into a green garden snake and Gryffindor was awarded twenty points. Seeing this happen harmlessly, the rest of the girls picked up their rope and poked and prodded their rope while using the spell. Elliot had also completely transformed his rope into a sand-colored snake. He was playing with when it bit him on the index finger. Elliot dropped it and sucked on his finger while the snake turned back into rope. Several of the Ravenclaws were having fun with their assigments as well. Ava was giggling and leading her snake around the desk with her wand. Beside her, Artemis, the girl that Elliot had a row with at the train station, was letting her snake slither up her wand and back down again. Alex's rope was wriggling and slithering around his arm, but it was still a piece of rope while William's rope had grown scales, but was motionless in front of him. The bell rang and the class was dismissed.

"The next class is Potions," Alex said, recalling his schedule from memory.

"That's held in the dungeons," William, said as they descended the stairs to the first floor.

"What a great a place to put little children," Alex said.

The three of them laughed and entered the lower levels of Hogwarts. It was dark and the walls were stone, lined with numerous torches that made mysterious shadows along the grounds. They found the class and entered to see the same kind of walls that were in the hallways except there were windows, but they were closed shut. They found seats in the middle again and saw Slytherin and Gryffindor students sitting in the large desks beside them. All the Gryffindor members were talking to Gryffindors and the same went with Slytherins. An uneasy cloud was cast over the class and Alex sat down in an empty desk, sensing a couple of Slytherins behind him were giving him and his friends the evil eye. Beside each desk was a black cauldron and a large wooden spoon inside. Underneath the large cauldrons, there were black scorch marks, but there was no wood. A door was thrusted open and closed with a loud thud as a pale, crooked-nosed man walked into the room.

"I am Professor Snape, your Potions teacher. It is an essential part of your learning experience at Hogwarts. One day, you may be faced with with a very serious poison that threatens your life," he snarled, leering at the students that sat in front of him, "and that is why, today, we are learning to brew and antidote that works on most common poisons." He flicked his wand towards the board and white letters began to write themselves on the board. "The instructions are on the board. Split into groups of three. You may begin." He waved his wand and began walking around the room.

An assortment of ingredients appeared on the tables and students eagerly began working on their potion. Alex, Damien, and William all stood up and gathered around the cauldron. They read the instructions and looked into the black pit of the cauldron and frowned a little. They began there strenous work of making an antidote by looking at their ingredients on the table and looked for what they needed to add to the cauldron. Alex pointed his wand at the base of the cauldron and read the spell written on the blackboard. Flames erupted from the tip of wand and made a tiny fire underneath the cauldron. A smile spread across his face as the fire roared under the black bottom of the cauldron. He would definitely remember that particular spell. Snape was looming over shoulders as he watched the class prepare his assigment.

Aconite was being crushed to a fine powder by William while Alex dropped in Boomslang Skin and Damien stirred the cauldron. The contents of the cauldron became a glowing green color and emitted white smoke. William finished his mixing and poured in a gold powder. The color stopped glowing and became a dark green.

"I think its time for the Bezoar Stone," Alex said, picking up a silvery rock from the table and dropping it in the green liquid. White smoke erupted a large cloud into the room. Professor Snape walked over and peered into the cauldron, his face emotionless.

"Very good. You are the first ones to _successfully _make this potion. Fifteen points for Gryffindor," he said cooly. "_Evanesco,_' he muttered, waving his wand and the potion disappeared.

As he walked away, Alex turned to his friends and gave them a thumbs-up. Many of the students turned back to their potion after Alex, William and Damien sat down. The three of them sat there and talked while everyone else worked on their antidotes. Puffs of blue and red smoke filled the air and the room distinctly smelled like roses. Ten minutes before class was about to end, Professor Snape stood up and waved his. All the smoke cleared from the air and several students stopped what they were doing.

"Please pour a sample of your potion into a bottle and hand it in for grading," Professor Snape said as he waved his wand again and bottle appeared on everyone's desks except for the one Alex was sitting at. "Lancastler, Wolfe, and Winchester recieve an automatic perfect for the day." Several of the Slytherins glared at them as they walked by to hand in their samples. The cloaked girl from the Sorting Ceremony, who had the same last name as Damien, came by and removed her cloak, revealing the sparkling crescent moon charm that hung off her forehead. Her icy blue glinted in the dim light like her charm. She had a definite look about her that sent chills down Alex's spine.

"Hello, brother," she said softly.

"Hello, sister," Damien replied, looking at the charm on her head.

"You blokes are related?" Alex blurted out. Her eyes shifted from Damien to Alex.

"Yes, you clod. Isn't it a little odd we have the same last name?" she snapped.

"The two of you..." Alex began.

"Look the same?" she finished. Alex had an astonished look on his face.

"Yeah, but how come..."

"We're in different houses?" she said, finishing his sentence again.

"How..."

"Do I do that?" she said, a smile forming around her lips.

She flipped her hood over her head, covering her eyes and moon charm, and walked towards the desk at the front and set her bottle with the others. Alex still had the puzzled look on his face as she walked by and sat back down at her table. The bell rang and Alex shook the perplexed look off his face. He grabbed his bag and led his friends out the door, heading for the Great Hall in time for lunch.


	7. Flying Lessons

For Damien, Alex and William, Quidditch was something they all enjoyed. Obviously, the fanatic was Damien. The three of them finished lunch and were heading outside for their next class, talking excitedly about flying.. Madame Hooch was waiting on the Quidditch field for everyone to arrive. She nodded to the boys as they approached. Her beady yellow eyes darted back and forth quickly as if watching everything at the same time. It was another class with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Madame Hooch pointed to the line of broomsticks on the ground and the boys went and stood beside one, looking intently at the device that would carry them up into the air. Damien looked at his hungrily. Alex laughed when he saw the expression on his face. More people were coming through the gates, chattering among themselves. He looked as Ava walked in with Artemis and waved at him.

Before he had the chance to wave back, a loud whistle sounded. Madame Hooch blasted the tiny metal instrument until everyone was lined and ready to go.

"Good afternoon, children. Hope you all had a good lunch. Just try not to lose it when you're flying," she said with a chuckle. "Now, who has never had experience with flying on brooms?" A handful of students raised their hands and looked around to find out that they weren't the only ones who haven't even touched a broomstick. One of them was Ava. "Well, no worries. It will all come naturally and if not," she paused "then we'll just have to see, won't we?" When she finished, she blew the whistle again. "Stand next to your broomsticks everyone." Alex stood next to his with Damien and William on either side. "Hold out your hand over the broomstick and shout 'Up!'" The air filled with the voices of everyone trying to command their broomsticks. Alex shouted and his broomstick flew up to his hand. Naturally, Damien did the same thing. William shouted it too, but his broomstick rolled around a bit and stayed in the grass. He flushed while Alex and Damien were giving each other high-fives. Madame Hooch came over and grinned. "You two," she said, pointing at the two of them. "Mount your broomsticks." They did as she said and were wondering what was going to happen next. Madame Hooch flicked her wand and large sparkling rings appeared in the air above them. There were ten of them arranged in a straight line. "You," she pointed at Damien, "fly through those rings." She blew her whistle and Damien kicked into the air. He circled and stopped in front of the first ring. Deciding to show off, he did a barrel-roll through all of them. The crowd below him cheered and Alex rolled his eyes defiantly. Damien came back down and Alex gave him a high-five.

"Nice work up there…for an amateur," Alex joked.

"You're next," Madame Hooch said. She blew the whistle and Alex kicked off. He stopped in front of the first ring and thought of a way to outdo Damien. A smirk appeared on his face and Damien raised his eyebrows slightly. Alex stood up on his broomstick, swung his feet around the handle and flew through the rings upside-down. The crowd went wild again as he came down and hovered in front of Damien.

"So how does it feel to be shown your own?" Alex jeered. He stuck his tongue out and laughed. Damien pushed against the handle of the broom and spun Alex around.

"Hope you don't lose your lunch," Damien said, laughing. Alex let his feet go and landed back on the ground. The two of them laughed.

Madame Hooch came by and congratulated them. "Excellent work boys. Ten points for Gryffindor."

Alex and Damien watched the rest of the class trying to get a hold on their broomsticks. Half of the class got it right. The rest of them were disheartened and gave up. William was one of them. Alex and Damien stifled their laughter as they watched his broomstick roll around the ground while he was shouting his eyes out. Ava and Artemis came by and sat with the two friends on the ground.

"That was really brilliant what you did up there, both of you," Ava said shyly.

"Yeah, where did you learn to do those things?" Artemis asked.

"Thanks, but it's not really that hard," Alex confessed. "I've been flying since I was seven. My father taught me. He bought me a new broom this summer. It's really great. A Silver Arrow."

"I love Quidditch. Flying is one my passions. I learned on my own when I was seven, too. I used to sneak out of the orphanage and practice with a broomstick I found out back," Damien said. "I can't tell you how many injuries I got." He laughed. "Try explaining that to the mistress." He laughed again. "It's a shame first-years can't join the Quidditch team. I would do anything to play."

The four of them sat and talked while everyone else was flying through the rings now. When it was Ava's turn, she got up and mounted her broomstick. She went through the rings fine, but had difficulty stopping at the end. Artemis flew through them half-heartedly. She was good, but didn't seem to like flying that much. They watched the rest of the class go through and laughed when someone lost control and crashed. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. The only exception was Elliot. He decided to stand on his broom stick while he flew. He slipped and injured himself in a very painful accident. The girls laughed and the guys cringed.

Finally, Madame Hooch blew her whistle and announced that the class was over. Everyone took their broomsticks and put them back into the equipment shed. Ava and Artemis waved good-bye and Alex and Damien caught back up with William. His face was a bit shadowy now.

"What's wrong, William?" Alex asked.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"If it's about the broom thing, it's no big deal."

"I said I don't want to talk about it!"

"Alright, then. We won't"

The three of them were silent for a minute. Damien looked around nervously, waiting for the tension to go away. Alex and stared at the ground as he walked. William was looking sideways the whole time and didn't say anything. The three of them walked to the school and entered the double-doors. Their next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. They went up to boy's dormitories and grabbed their books and headed back down to the first floor.


End file.
